Obama lands in Saudi Arabia for talks with Gulf allies

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Obama lands in Saudi Arabia for talks with Gulf allies

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — President Barack Obama has landed in Riyadh to meet with Saudi King Salman and other Persian Gulf allies.

The president is slated to meet with the king later Wednesday before attending a Gulf Cooperation Council summit. The group includes leaders from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain.

The White House says the president plans to discuss deepening Gulf allies’ involvement in the fight against the Islamic State group, wars in Syria and Yemen and broader counterterrorism efforts.

Obama arrived amid strained relations with the Saudis, who remain deeply opposed to his outreach to Iran and skeptical of his approach to Syria.

Obama is slated to spend little more than 24 hours in the Saudi capital before heading on to visits to London and Hannover, Germany.